Tangled Up In You
by Amaltheia.Del-echo
Summary: It's been several months since Loki and Thor have returned to Asgard, with the mischief-making God kept as a prisoner the entire time. But when Loki falls ill with a mysterious illness, the Asgardian King can't bear to see his brother in so much pain and sends for the best Medic in all of Asgard. Turns out, it's a face neither man wanted to remember. Loki/OC, a bit of Thor/OC.
1. Prolouge

_Ahh, I debated whether to begin to put this up for a while, but decided I would like some feedback on this. I've got big things planned out for this story.. And I can't wait to share it all with you guys c: Read and review; it makes my world go round, and it might make more chapters pop up sooner ;3 Also, this is only the prolouge and since it's so short, I'll be posting the first chapter immediately!_

_I do not own Loki or any of Marvel's characters! If I did.. well, there would be a lot more fun to be had xD_

The healer moved about her cottage, grabbing the dishes from the table and dumping them carelessly into the sink. Irritation pooled in her stomach at the sight of all the dirty utensils and her eyes took in the living room. She had been restless lately, knowing that something was about to happen, about to change. And she didn't know if it was good or bad. A pounding on her door brought her gaze from her inspection and a light scowl pulled at her mouth. She never had guests. Not many knew she even lived here, which was _exactly_ how she preferred things.

"Enter." She called and her frown deepened when a slim woman flanked by two armed guards entered. This could only mean one thing. Great.

"The king has sent for you," The female, who the healer remembered as Sif, informed, her voice holding an undercurrent of dislike. Detecting it, the owner of the cottage suppressed a smirk and instead gave the three a look of boredom.

"Well, isn't that sweet." She mused, enjoying the almost inaudible growl Sif emitted. "I deny."

"It isn't a request." The warrior replied, smirking smugly when the other woman tensed, eyes narrowing. She had been right, of course. Things were changing.

And not in a good way.


	2. Chapter 1

_Hope this is long enough for you guys! 3 First chapter up, I'll post more when I get some reviews, maybe c: _

_I do not ow Marvel or it's characters._

Thor sat impatiently on his throne, fingers playing an irritated rhythm against the armrests. He had sent for the medic nearly a week ago and Loki was slowly getting worse. Despite all that the trickster had done, he was still Thor's brother, and he'd be damned if he let him die.

"My king," Sif's voice broke in to Thor's thoughts and his raised his eyes eagerly. To his surprise, Sif looked uncharacteristically angry. "We have returned with the healer."

"Well, bring him in!" Thor boomed and a cloaked figure entered the room, slowly making his way toward the throne and its king. "I wish to see your face, Herbalist. Remove your hood."

"As you wish, sire." The answering reply was soft and feminine, a touch of an accent dripping from the voice. As the medic removed their hood, blood red curls tumbled from the cap, falling to frame a pale, heart-shaped face. Blue-black eyes that reminded Thor of the night sky rose to meet his own ice blue gaze. He froze, lost in the depths of the healer's seemingly fathomless irises. Unlike most Asgardian women, the medic was tall and willowy, the muscles chorded through her frame taut with tension. Despite the smallness of her waist, her hips and breast provided tantalizing curves that would beckon any man. Thor swallowed, his eyes a mixture of several different emotions.

"Amaltheia." His voice held notes of surprise and disbelief. Sif's look of anger suddenly made sense now. The two had never gotten along, and after- Well, Sif had only hated her more.

"Miss me?" Amaltheia purred, running her tongue along her full bottom lip before smirking up at Thor. _She_ was the best in all of Asgard? Fate was surely spitting in his face. Clearing his throat, Thor wiped his expression of emotions.

"I have called you here on matters regarding Loki." He informed. Amaltheia's eyes darkened at the mention of the god and Thor thought he saw a flash of something in her face, but it was gone much too quickly.

"What about him?" She inquired in a bored tone, examining her nails. The king felt irritation heat his blood at her indifference. There was a time when the three of them had been inseparable. He stood and motioned for Amaltheia to follow him, heading out of the throne room and down the hall. Ama suppressed the groan that was building in her throat, told her racing heart to calm itself, and followed after him. Thor led her down endless hallways and finally they reached a stairwell. Amaltheia felt cold air wafting up from the dark expanse.

"This is like, the base of every Misgardian horror story." She pointed out, only earning a glare from Thor as descended the steps. Pressing a hand to the wall in order to not lose her balance, Ama clomped down after him. A faint light glowed up ahead and after a bout of steps that seemed to go on forever, they hit the bottom and Thor led her down yet another hallway. The two came upon a glass-like wall and beyond that, Loki lay in a heap of blankets. There was nothing else in the room. Even from this angle, Amaltheia could see the pain, flushed expression on his face. He moved not an inch when Thor called out a greeting, tracing a complicated pattern on the glass. After he was done, a doorway materialized, sliding open.

"After you." Thor made a motion with his hand and waited until Amaltheia moved toward the door before following. Ama approached the dark-haired god warily, unsure if he was asleep or not. She had heard the stories about what Loki had done, all the people he had caused pain. Her heart ached. What had made him so cruel, so cold-hearted? Had it been her..? Shaking the cobwebs of the past from her head, Amaltheia crouched down, pressing a hand to Loki's cheek. Whereas his pale skin was normally almost freezing, it now blazed with heat that radiated off of him. The air around him was stale with sickness.

"How long has he been like this?" Amaltheia asked quietly, glancing up to see the pained face Thor was making.

"Over a week." He replied, voice thick. "It happened out of the blue, too. One day he was perfectly fine and the next day he was like this." A frown touched Ama's mouth as she studied Loki. His skin had slowly begun to turn blue, reverting back to his natural Frost Giant color. Suddenly his eyes shot open and he jerked upright, turning his head to heave a pool of blood onto the floor.

"Holy-" Thor began only to cut off with a strangled noise.

"Get me some water now." Amaltheia commanded, glaring at Thor until he nodded and scrambled away. "Loki?" She started more softly, pressing a hand to his back to steady him. Loki turned bloody eyes upon her face, breath coming in ragged gasps.

"A-mal-theia?" He asked in a weak voice that just barely scraped past his lips. His orbs faded back to green, though the color was dull with fever.

"Hey." Ama whispered with a soft smile, pushing his inky black hair away from his face. "You need a haircut." Loki tried to speak again, but only ended up coughing up more blood. Amaltheia's stomach clenched and she reached over to wipe the red substance from his chin. She took the glass from Thor as he returned and pressed it to the man's lips. "Drink this." After he took a few gulps, he lay back down, clearly exhausted, and fell into a shallow slumber. Amaltheia stood and followed Thor from the chamber, wiping Loki's blood onto a handkerchief the king provided. His blue eyes searched her face.

"No one here can figure out what kind of sickness he has." Thor ventured, watching the way Amaltheia's face tightened. "So I sent for the best known medic in Asgard."

"He isn't sick." The woman growled, anger present in the fierceness her dark eyes now held. The blonde looked dumbfounded.

"What do you mean? Of course he's sick! You sa-"

"He didn't suddenly contract something that the others have never heard of." She continued, interrupting him. Her gaze snagged his and he was surprised at the intense emotion that dwelled in hers. "He's been poisoned."


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two yaaaay 3_**

"Poisoned?" Thor echoed, locking the door and trailing after Amaltheia as she stalked from the basement and into the lit hallways. Her steps made sharp, angry sounds bounce across the walls.

"Yes." She answered, pausing and casting a cautious look around. "I can't speak about it out in the open. Come to my chambers later tonight and I will explain." With that said, she continued down the hall and disappeared from sight. Thor watched her leave, biting down on his bottom lip in worry. Who would poison Loki right under his nose? Yes, he had caused more than enough trouble, and yes, he had tried to kill him, but still. Thor had hope Loki would return to Frigga, to Odin, to himself. They were brothers, after all. They were family. Who cared if he was really a Frost Giant? He had grown up as an Odinson and he was to remain as one. It had been months since the two had returned from Misgard. Loki had remained imprisoned and had spoke only but a few words when he was not forced to wear the muzzle. Thor's thoughts turned to a certain red-haired female. How would her reappearance into their lives affect Loki's recovery? She had played an important role in the Odinson family when they were younger. Thor himself had loved her with every part of his young, foolish self. But Loki had been her best friend, her confident, who she went to when she had a fight with Thor. The king didn't know who had been more devastated when Ama had suddenly disappeared; himself or his brother. After she was gone, Loki had been quieter, more withdrawn. Was it Amaltheia's fault his younger sibling had turned out the way he had?

Amaltheia paced about her room, running a hand through her hair. The fact that someone had poisoned Loki had been on her mind all day and now she found herself running everyone who frequented the place through her mind, trying to pinpoint who could've done it. Of course, with everything the god of mischief had done, that made everyone a suspect, even Thor himself. A light knock on her door pulled her from her frantic worrying and she called out a greeting as Thor entered, quietly shutting it.

"Tell me why you think Loki is poisoned." He said. Amaltheia motioned for him to sit at one of the chairs by the fireplace and joined him at the one opposite of him.

"I don't think, Thor, I _know_." She stated, quelling the rush of feelings as Thor set baby blue eyes on her face with rapt attention. "Whoever did this designed it _specifically_ for Loki. They made it to where he would die very slowly and very, _very_ painfully. And in a way that makes him most vulnerable. If I can't cure him within a few days, he will literally burn from the inside out." She rubbed her jaw and brought her legs against her chest.

"But... why?" Thor whispered. "Who here would do this to me, to their king?" Amaltheia's dark orbs settled on the flicker of the fire.

"That I don't know." She murmured, setting her chin on her knees. "It could be anyone. No one here is fond of Loki anymore. But to poison him is to go against you, so whoever did it holds a particularly deep grudge. The best thing to do right now is not tell anyone you know it's poison. That'll give us away, and it will make the suspect more wary. They might get rid of crucial evidence. So for now, keep this on the down low. I will treat Loki to the best of my ability." Thor gave a brief nod and fell silent, his sadness clear in the lines of his face. Amaltheia felt bad for him. To think someone was trying to kill your brother. Even if said brother was a pompous, bigoted asshole.

"Amaltheia?" Thor asked softly, drawing the woman's attention from the flames to him. "Why did you leave?" The question caught Ama off guard and she stared at the blonde for a moment.

"It's.. Complicated." Amaltheia replied finally, unable to meet her king's gaze.

"I can do complicated." He said, earning a nervous laugh from his companion. But she merely shook her head, which made Thor's expression hardened. "Don't you think I deserve to know?" He demanded.

"Yes." Ama responded without hesitation. "But I.." Her words trailed away and she seemed to draw farther within herself.

"Then tell me. It will be better than thinking you were playing around with me all that time and when things got serious, you ran." Amaltheia's eyes snapped up to Thor's when he said this, blazing with anger.

"You believe I was fooling around?" She inquired, voice taut with annoyance. "That I was toying with you? I loved you, Thor. You meant everything to me!"

"Then why did you leave?!" He growled, hands curling into fists as he stared her down. Back then, Amaltheia would have buckled and ended the conversation. But this woman was different. She wasn't going to back down. She opened her mouth, face twisted in irritation, but Thor plowed on without giving her a chance to answer. "Why did you abandon me? Abandon my brother? Obviously neither of us meant anything to you and you could so easily leave us! You were the love of my life, Amaltheia. You were Loki's _best _friend! You leaving changed him. It's _your_ fault he's like this now!" Amaltheia recoiled as if she'd been slapped, her eyes stretched wide. All fury was gone from her face, replaced instead by sadness and an overwhelming pool of hurt.

"Ama, wait, I didn't me-"

"Get out." She dead-panned, voice void of emotion. Everything slowly drained away until she was staring at him hollowly. It was worse than her pain.

"Amal-"

"I said, get_ out._" Amaltheia growled, standing and stalking away from him. Thor slowly rose as well and made a step towards her, but the tightening of her posture warned him away. "Leave."

"I'm sorry, Ama." He put out before leaving.


End file.
